Warm Panda Hugs & Red Lips

The Fair Foundation Files: bareMinerals Original in Fair

Hey Pandas!“The Fair Foundation Files” will be a mini-series going on in the next few weeks because I have recently picked up a handful of foundations specifically for my fair skin and skin needs. I know this won’t be the most helpful for all my readers because not everyone has this skin tone and I am aware of that, but I also know for many it can be a problem to find a very light foundation shade. At the very least, I hope my comments on the formula of the foundations are helpful, and you can choose your own shade.Let me preface this series by describing my skin and my needs.My Skin:

Used to be very oily, but now is only oily mid-day on my t-zone. Cheeks, chin, forehead are very dry.

I have fairly sensitive skin (sensitive to lots of fragrance) and my pores clog easily.

I suffer from monthly breakouts but am currently dealing with some minor acne scarring on my cheeks.

My skin is very very fair. It used to be darker, with yellower undertones, but I have found lately that my undertones are more neutral.

My Needs/Wants:

I want medium to full coverage foundation.

I want a foundation that won’t break me out.

It needs to last through my hectic days.

It should have SPF.

It needs to not oxidize.

It needs to be a very close match to my coloring.

Now that we have that out of the way, I want to introduce you to the first contender: bareMinerals Original SPF 15 in Fair.I used to wear Fairly Light not long ago, but recently found it a bit too yellow for my skin. I have used all versions of bareMinerals (original, matte, and pressed). I decided to try the original formula again because the matte broke me out and the pressed did the same thing but was $2 more.This foundation is $27 and comes with .28oz of product (I apply A LOT for full coverage, so it lasts me about 2 1/2 months). It also has an SPF 15 which is an added benefit and is good for the skin.Active Ingredients: Active Ingredients: Titanium Dioxide 12.6%, Zinc Oxide 21%. Inactive Ingredients: Bismuth Oxychloride, Mica, Iron Oxides, Zinc Oxide, Titanium Dioxide.

Fair is the lightest shade offered and is very, very light with slight pinkish undertones. This is touted to last 8 hours.

I like the newer sliding lid so you can twist it to cover the sifting holes and save from spills. If you are familiar with bareMinerals at all, the typical way to apply is to dip a face brush in the minerals, swirl in the cap, tap the excess off, and buff onto face.

But since I want full coverage, I dip a kabuki brush directly into the minerals and then buff on my face. This gives fully coverage and in my opinion, is less wasteful of product if you were to tap off the excess.

This is a swatch on my hand, and as you can see, it is a few shades lighter than my skin tone here. It has a luminous finish and is incredibly forgiving and buildable.

Please forgive this picture— but I am ONLY wearing bareMinerals foundation in Fair. No eyebrows, no mascara, no lippies, no concealer except for bringing the powder up under my eyes. Hopefully you can get a feel for how this covers and my skin tone.

I feel this is a nice match for my skin tone, even though it is the lightest foundation I own. Definitely looks better on my than Fairly Light, but is a smidge too pinky.

Likes:

Is breathable and I know it won’t irritate my skin.

Fragrance free.

Easy and quick to apply- very forgiving.

Gives skin a dewy glow.

Dislikes:

A bit too fair/pinky

Lasts only about 6 hours, not 8, before it starts to fade.

Powder is hard to mix with cream blushes, etc.

Does not cover my acne scars fully.

I’m torn on this, but overall, I would suggest it for someone with very good skin already and who wants to keep it that way. This foundation is my old standby and I know it won’t disappoint. Be prepared to blot midday, even if you have drier skin like mine. I have definitely found my weekend foundation for when i want a low-maintenance look–but it didn’t quite hit all my criteria.

We have similar skin types!! I'm super fair also but I have a pink undertone. It's hard to find foundations to match, and usually I go a tiny bit darker but lately I'm liking ones that match better to my skin. Great post Margo!! I've never tried bareminerals before!

Thanks Ashley!! I'm glad you found it helpful. There definitely is a learning curve with loose minerals but I know its not going to break me out. The matte version did only because it has a lot of sulfur in it and I am allergic, but the matte version is very pretty as well.